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Archive for May, 2014

The Lazy C’s Lou Brancaccio is at it again, creating controversy where there is none over the County Commissioner’s meeting in executive session to discuss who they will choose to replace Stave Stuart.

Just to give some background on what has been ongoing over the years, Michael Delavar, a staunch Ron Paul supporter first ran for 3rd Congressional District in 2008, losing to Brian Baird by the largest margin anybody had in 20 years. In the run up to the election, the following account is what transpired at a PCO meet & greet with Ron Paul/Delavar supporters. Many of the links may now be dead, due to age. More will follow in the days ahead as it is now appearing like one of their number is now an elected official in Clark County and seems to have no qualms taking other people’s work as his own to further his popularity, quickly apologizing if caught and acting innocent.

With just 3 weeks left until the November General Election, I had hoped to see a good challenge to Democrat Brian Baird from Michael Delavar, running as a Republican. I previously wrote of my dilemma in who to support in this race in hopes that Michael would see the light and get behind our Troops and their Mission, both in Iraq and Afghanistan in fighting radical Jihadists.

All hopes that he will see the light were dashed yesterday, not so much by Michael, but by supporters of his who have snuck into the Clark County GOP as PCO’s and have shown their intent to follow other Ron Paul Libertarians in a nationwide attempt at taking over the Republican Party.

I came to my attention earlier that the extremist faction of the Clark County Republican Party, very upset at having light shined on their back room dealings to stack PCO slots, have set up a blog site with the express reason of countering this one.

Received in comments on facebook today,

“Indy Thinker commented on xxxxx xxxxxx’s post.
Indy wrote: “Lew Waters Watch isn’t about candidates, Lew. It’s about calling bullshit on your bullshit. Keep feeding us bullshit, and you only make it grow. You want it to go away? Stop promoting bullshit. You have become the most divisive element of the Clark County GOP with your indiscriminate attacks that never seem to address issues.”

Translation: “Don’t shine light on our nefarious actions. Do not filet us open like a carp.”

As expected, my post Clark GOP Playing Dirty Again? was not well received by some extremist factions within the Clark County Republican Party, who seemingly spent much of Monday, May 19 scurrying around doing damage control and attempting to make themselves appear altruistic.

In the process, they have made some claims that are not being confirmed by the ones they are attributed to when I contacted them.

These extremists would have you believe that the initial email sent out to a selective group of PCO candidates was their effort to ferret out what they describe as a conspiracy against them by some WSRP operative in Bothell that “has been caught filing at least 20 online PCO applications on behalf of Clark County residents, some of whom had no intention of filing and gave no permission to use their names.”

Patty Murray, Democrat Senator from Washington State has long touted herself as the “best friend” Veterans have. And she has successfully thrown some money towards veterans and enjoyed many a photo-op with Veterans and cutting ribbon ceremonies.

In light of the revelations of “waiting lists” for Veterans to receive much needed healthcare, some dying while waiting, she now demands “decisive actions” at a hearing by the Senate Veterans Affair Committee she has sat on since 1995 and chaired between 2011 and 2013

Sadly, the calls sound like little more than recorded rhetoric we heard from her in 2007 when it was discovered that one building at Walter Reed Hospital was in deplorable condition as she and other Democrats politicized it, demanding then President Bush’ head on a platter.

This blog made no secret of the dirty, underhanded tactics used by the Republican Party back in 2010 that saw a good conservative Republican undermined in favor of Jaime Herrera. It appears that even though the so called “establishment” that was responsible then is no longer chairing the Clark County Republican Party, the dirty politics against Republicans continues.

Precinct Committee Officers are the backbone of any political party that reach out to neighbors, vote for the party platform and if need be, select replacements if an elected partisan officials cannot complete their term in office.

While we have been pointing out how the Democrat Party has been requiring a lock-step position and it is Republicans that truly are the “Big Tent” party, welcoming diverse views, how disappointing to see the below email forwarded to me that allegedly is seeking to set up a lock-step, one view attitude within PCO’s in Clark County.

Recipient’s information has been removed, but not the senders and party officials connected.

School shootings continue to be a problem none of us to ever experience. Ideas vary on how to deal with it including the controversial idea of arming properly qualified, trained and licensed school teachers and staff.

Alluding to the matter being up to individual school districts, Shane Gardner brought out that “we have school teachers who are Reserve Sheriff’s Deputies. I believe a reserve deputy is a perfect example of a qualified, properly trained volunteer. We have called reserve deputies to augment patrol staffing at schools on days after reports of threats, etc. I believe our reserve program is an excellent example of building rapport with our community. The more that know and understand Law Enforcement the better and safer community we will be.”

Gangs have been a problem for a long time and while they might not be as big a problem in Clark County as elsewhere, they still pose a problem for law enforcement here that must be dealt with.

“Gangs should be an ongoing concern for law enforcement. If we do not work with the community to provide education and training to high risk kids, we will be dealing with them as young adults in our criminal justice system” says Shane Gardner. He intends to deal with gangs “in partnership with the Safe Streets Task Force, multi-agency task forces, and community mentor programs.”

Gardner also admits that law enforcement cannot deal with the issue alone saying, “We need to engage our community in addressing the underlying reasons that children seek out gangs, and/or gangs grow and recruit in our communities.”

Four candidates have stepped up to the plate to replace retiring Clark County Sheriff, Garry Lucas, all with prior law enforcement experience in Clark County. Of course, only one will win the office in the November general election after two will prevail in the August primary election to face each other.

A Sheriff is a lot more important than many people realize. Far from just being responsible for overseeing the writing of traffic tickets, the Sheriff is responsible for managing the entire Department, maintaining the “oldest law enforcement agency in our state as well leading the Department Deputies in varied activities related to crime, enforcement of laws, corrections facilities, general safety of County Government and Citizens,” maintaining a rapport with the community and other elected officials, budgeting the Department, overseeing proper training of personnel and much more.

It is therefore incumbent upon us, the citizens and voters to elect the one candidate we feel is best suited for the position, based upon their values, experience and abilities.

It is with a great deal of pleasure that I report former Vancouver City Council Member, Jeanne E. Stewart has announced her intent to make a bid for the seat abandoned by Steve Stuart on the Clark County Board of Commissioners. She will be filing as a Republican.

Ms. Stewart, who was elected three times to the Vancouver City Council as a non-partisan candidate and who was the most centrist of all City Council members during her twelve years has contacted Clark County Republican Party Chair Kenny Smith informing him, “My past runs for political office have always been for nonpartisan positions. This County Commissioners race is a partisan race and candidates must select a party designation. This is a new step for me, as I have not been strongly aligned with any particular party, in the past. After careful soul searching, I have come to the conclusion that my most important principles and philosophies are more closely aligned with those of the Republican Party.”

Stewart has always shunned partisan labels, opting instead to be a true representative of the people, carefully weighing matters that come before her to ascertain potential benefits and the public’s views, at times ruffling feathers of other council members catering to special interests.

Larry Patella has been a staunch advocate for the people of Clark County & Vancouver, Washington. He has been in the forefront of many battles with the City Council’s desires to separate taxpayers from their hard-earned paychecks over several years.

And circumstances have proven him correct many times over, even though ultimately, taxpayers have ended up stuck with a bill they shouldn’t have. The list is too numerous to post here, but all too often his warnings have fallen on deaf Democrat ears and we taxpayers have ended up with the bills.

But, when he is wrong, he’s wrong and when he is too stubborn to admit it, even though several show him where he is wrong, I must defend what is right, let the chips fall where they may.

As we know, Sheriff Garry Lucas is retiring after this term ends. What we may think of his time in office is now irrelevant as we seek to wade through four candidates, so far, that have filed to replace him.

This blog cannot make an endorsement at this time and likely will not endorse in the primary, but all four, John Graser, Ed Owens, Chuck Atkins and Shane Gardner have been sent a questionnaire with identical questions that I hope to use to provide a fair comparison of each. Chuck Atkins has earned this blogs endorsement due to his being the most experienced candidate running.

So far, Chuck Atkins has acknowledged receipt of the questionnaire and John Graser as returned it filled out. I await Ed Owens and Shane Gardner.

If ever there is an example of just how ridiculous Republicans make themselves appear, it is the furor over Willamette Week reporter Nigel Jaquiss seen writing “blah, blah, blah” on his note pad during a recent candidate endorsement interview.

It seems that Mark Callahan, claiming to be a Republican this time, took umbrage to Jaquiss’ writing that during an answer given by his opponent, Jo Rae Perkins over the phone.

According to KGW News, it irked Callahan enough for him to light into Jaquiss with “I see what you’re writing down there, you just wrote down ‘blah, blah, blah, blah, blah’ for everything that Joe Rae said. Joe Rae is a respectable woman. Why are you not respecting her?”

Who hasn’t either said or thought the same during some long, drawn out talking by someone else?